No. 13 Syracuse beats Louisville 54-23, stays perfect in dome

Louisville head coach Bobby Petrino tries to get the referees attention during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Syracuse in Syracuse, N.Y., Friday, Nov. 9, 2018. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)

Posted
Friday, November 9, 2018 11:13 pm

By MARK FRANK, Associated Press

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — Moe Neal rushed for a career-best 159 yards and two touchdowns, quarterback Eric Dungey ran for two more scores and passed for another, and No. 13 Syracuse took advantage of five Louisville miscues to rout the Cardinals 54-23 on Friday night.

The Orange (8-2, 5-2 ACC, No. 13 CFP) scored 27 points off five Louisville (2-8, 0-7 ACC) errors, rushed for 292 yards and accumulated 518 yards of total offense. Syracuse finished the season unbeaten in six games in the Carrier Dome for the fourth time since the building opened in 1980.

The Cardinals were penalized 17 times for 125 yards, and Syracuse picked off two Louisville passes. Louisville also lost two fumbles and their quarterbacks, under pressure most of the game, were sacked five times.

The win sets up a showdown for the Orange next Saturday against No. 3 Notre Dame at Yankee Stadium.

Syracuse has scored 50 or more points in five games this season and tallied 30 points in the second quarter alone to put the game out of reach with a 37-7 halftime lead.

Jarveon Howard gave the Orange a 7-0 lead, scoring on a 1-yard run following a 50-yard field goal attempt by Blanton Creque that was blocked by nose tackle Josh Black.

An interception by Andre Cisco, his fifth pick of the season, set up a 2-yard touchdown run by Dungey.

Neal scored from two yards out following an interception by linebacker Kielan Whitner.

Andre Szmyt hit field goals of 39 and 35 yards following two more Cardinal mistakes.

The win was the fourth straight for the surging Orange while Louisville lost its seventh straight. The eight wins tied the most victories for Syracuse in a regular season since 1998.

The lopsided margin was payback for the Orange, who were outscored by Louisville 118-38 the last two seasons.

Dungey, playing in his final home game, was 14 of 27 for 192 yards and gained 62 yards on the ground. His rushing touchdowns gave him 12 for the season.

Louisville's three quarterbacks were a combined 14 of 31 for 210 yards.

THE TAKEAWAY

Louisville: The Cardinals head home for their final two games of the year, but the season is lost. Big changes loom for the Cardinals and the future of coach Bobby Petrino is very much in doubt.

Syracuse: These are great times for Orange football. Six wins and a bowl game would have been considered a successful season, but Syracuse now has loftier goals. Next Saturday's matchup against No. 3 Notre Dame is the program's biggest game in years, and the Orange's high-powered offense gives them a chance for an upset.

UP NEXT

Louisville: The Cardinals host North Carolina State on Saturday. The No. 22 Wolfpack will be smarting from their loss to Wake Forest.

Syracuse: The Orange travel to Yankee Stadium on Saturday to play Notre Dame in a game that will go a long way in determining Syracuse's — and Notre Dame's — postseason destination.

The Kentucky General Assembly is wrapping up its legislative session, and for two years in a row, lawmakers have utterly failed Kentucky families on the issue of expanding education options. But the lonely champions of parental, student, and teacher empowerment will carry on their struggle against the education establishment until every family has the opportunity to choose a school that best meets their child's needs. And I'll proudly count myself among them.